This time last year, the Los Angeles Rams were in the middle of their journey to winning the Super Bowl as they went all-in and all the way with their talented roster and strong coaching staff. They then set out to repeat as champions, but the 2022 season turned out to be a disaster in many ways. They weren’t able to keep all of the same players from their Super Bowl roster, they dealt with countless injuries, and the losses mounted up. Without quarterback Matthew Stafford or star wide receiver Cooper Kupp for the majority of the season, the team experienced a huge drop-off. They finished 5-12 which is the worst record ever for a team that just won the Super Bowl. Head coach, Sean McVay, has proven to be one of the best coaches in the NFL and at 36 years old has already appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one. However, all of the losses this past season have more than likely taken a toll on him. Following this challenging season, there were lots of discussions that McVay would step away from coaching. He contemplated walking away from his team as he considered the reality that staying the course may continue to be a hard road. The team is older and has traded away many of its future draft picks. There's a tough journey ahead if they want to bounce back and become a Super Bowl contender again. McVay has already made tons of money and won a Super Bowl, so it’s understandable that he’d want to avoid any more losing and just move on from a bleak situation. But, despite the concerns, he's announced that he's not going anywhere. He told Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, “I don’t want to run away from adversity, I want to run through it.” I admire that perspective and believe that the challenges he’s gone through and will continue to experience will make him an even better coach in the long run. As we consider McVay’s decision to stick it out, I want us to be encouraged to embrace that same approach in our own lives. All of us face seasons of adversity and challenges and it’s so tempting to look for ways to run away from it. Of course, we don’t initially want life to be hard or have to go through struggles, but when we realize there is value in going through it, we can embrace it. We can choose to view the tough road ahead as an opportunity for God to accomplish His will and purpose in our lives as He transforms us and deepens our faith along the way. James 1:2-4 (AMP) tells us to “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith produces endurance . And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed , lacking in nothing.” The Message Bible paraphrases those same verses this way: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” Of course, we can continue to ask God to take away our pain and difficulty, but so often He’s still working and needs us to remain and trust that His plan is working. I’m so thankful Jesus didn’t run away from adversity, but instead, He accomplished the will of His Father. He prayed this before going to the cross in Luke 22:42 (ESV): "’...Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours, be done.'” Today, instead of looking to “run away from adversity” and avoid anything hard, let’s lean into God as He helps us “run through it.” We can count on Him to use the trials we go through to accomplish His plan as we become even more like Jesus. I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I admit I want to go around adversity or leave and give up when things get tough. However, I know You are using the trials and challenges to accomplish Your will, transform my character, and strengthen my faith. Please help me to trust You as I go through difficulties. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
What adversity have you faced previously that you're glad you went through instead of running away from it?
What challenging situation do you find yourself in today, and in what ways do you need to trust God to help you through it?
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